US4575732A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thermal printer
Assignee: ISHIDA KOKI SEISAKUSHO A CORP OF JAPAN KK
•
Filing: 1984-09-28
•
Granted: 1986-03-11
•
Expires: 2004-09-28
Abstract
Abstract A printer having a circuit for controlling a heating head is arranged so that the heating head is divided into first and second heating element groups. When a printer control unit provides one line of print data, a first portion of the data is printed by the first heating element group during the first half of a printing cycle by supplying power solely to the first heating element group, and a second portion of the data is printed during the second half of the printing cycle by supplying power solely to the second heating element group.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Kitaoka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 00:44
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/315; B41J2/32; B41J2/35; B41J2/355
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
A printer for printing on a recording medium by controlling the supply of electric power to a heating head, comprising: a heating head equipped with first and second heating element groups each heating element group having a plurality of heating elements; a control unit for producing print data to be printed by said heating head, a latch pulse and a print enable signal; a plurality of shift registers, operatively connected to respective ones of said heating elements, for storing print data produced by said control unit; a plurality of latch circuits, operatively connected to respective ones of said shift registers and responsive to the latch pulse, for latching the print data stored by said shift registers; a plurality of switch elements operatively connected between respective ones of said latch circuits and said heating elements; a flip-flop for alternately producing first and second signals; logic circuitry operable when the print enable signal is produced, to apply, in response to the first signal from the flip-flop, output signals from the latch circuits corresponding to said first heating element group to switching elements, for driving said first heating element group, and to apply, in response to a second signal from the flip-flop, output signals from the latch circuits corresponding to said second heating element group to switching elements, for driving said second heating element group.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
A printer for printing on a recording medium by controlling the supply of electric power to a heating head, comprising: a heating head equipped with first and second heating element groups each heating element group having a plurality of heating elements; a control unit for producing print data to be printed by said heating head, a latch pulse and a print enable signal; a plurality of shift registers, operatively connected to respective ones of said heating elements, for storing print data produced by said control unit; a plurality of latch circuits, operatively connected to respective ones of said shift registers and responsive to the latch pulse, for latching the print data stored by said shift registers; a plurality of switch elements operatively connected between respective ones of said latch circuits and said heating elements; a flip-flop for alternately producing first and second signals; logic circuitry operable when the print enable signal is produced, to apply, in response to the first signal from the flip-flop, output signals from the latch circuits corresponding to said first heating element group to switching elements, for driving said first heating element group, and to apply, in response to a second signal from the flip-flop, output signals from the latch circuits corresponding to said second heating element group to switching elements, for driving said second heating element group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
132 words
A printer according to claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises: means for setting a printing mode; means for delivering one line of print data to said shift registers when the printing mode has been set and the first signal is provided by said flip-flop; means for delivering the latch pulse to said latch circuits in response to a subsequent output of the first signal by said flip-flop; means for setting the print enable signal to a high logic level and for applying the resulting high-level print enable signal to said logic circuitry to control heating element energization; and means, operable at the end of print data processing, for resetting the high-level print enable signal to a low logic level and applying the resulting low-level print enable signal to said logic circuitry.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1546289A
Cited
US4369452A
Cited
GB2087116A
Cited
US4475114A
Cited
US4491853A
Cited
DE3302388A1
Cited
US4492482A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-03-10 | 1989-09-09 | 1990-03-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-03-10 | 1993-09-09 | 1994-03-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-03-10 | 1997-09-09 | 1998-03-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |